Quick Details
Tour Highlights:
- Experience the wonders of Yellowstone’s iconic hydrothermal features, explore the geology that has shaped the ecosystem, and enjoy landscapes sculpted by both fire & ice
- Your own local naturalist guide
- Private and customizable tour – just your group!
- Activity level based on your interests and abilities
- High quality optics for all
- Breakfast and lunch – picnic style
- Safe, fun and educational
Explore the best of the Yellowstone Volcano, one of the largest active volcanoes in the world, with a local expert guide. Yellowstone has more than 200 active geysers and over 10,000 thermal features; there is so much to explore! We will show you our favorite geysers, colorful springs and bubbling mud pots, and some local secrets along the way. This tour will be crafted around your interests and abilities and can include a longer hike to some off-the-beaten-path features as well! You will see all of these amazing features and begin to understand how and why Yellowstone is such a hotspot for them.
This day will take us down the west side of the park as we explore and unravel the mysteries of the awe-inspiring geological and thermal features for which Yellowstone drew national attention to become the world’s first National Park in 1872.
A major focus of this tour is an eruption of the world’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful. This remarkable feature, named in 1871 prior to the establishment of Yellowstone, has remained reliably “faithful” in its eruptions, and continues to awe visitors with its incredible raw power and predictable behavior. In the area surrounding Old Faithful, we can hike through a huge concentration of colorful, active pools that are home to their own fascinating ecosystems, as well as potentially witness eruptions of other spouting geysers with names like Beehive, Castle, Grand, Lion, Grotto, and Riverside!
Throughout the day, your guide will be sharing the fascinating and complex ways in which volcanism, glacial periods, plate tectonics, and hydrology have shaped the landscape and laid the foundation for the ecology and wildlife we see in and around Yellowstone today.
Stops may include:
- Old Faithful – Yellowstone’s most iconic feature and the world’s most famous geyser!
- Grand Prismatic – A dramatic rainbow of colors that make up the world’s 3rd largest hot spring, and perhaps a short hike to a scenic overview allowing for an aerial view of this thermal jewel.
- Fountain Paint Pot– All four types of thermal features found in the world are concentrated along one short ½-mile boardwalk.
- Gibbon Falls – Gibbon River cascades 88’over the edge of the caldera left by Yellowstone’s most recent major volcanic eruption – roughly 640,000 years ago.
- Norris Geyser Basin – An otherworldly landscape of porcelain pools and hissing steam home to the unpredictable Steamboat Geyser, the tallest active geyser in the world!
- Mammoth Hot Springs – Ethereal and pristine chalky-white travertine terraces that are constantly growing and shifting–sometimes from one day to the next!
-
Gardiner, MT, Sage Lodge & Chico Hot Springs: 6:00am
Mammoth Hot Springs: 6:15am
Norris Geyser Basin: 6:45am
Madison Junction: 7:15am
Old Faithful Visitor Center: 7:45am
-
Your Tour Includes:
- Full-day (8 hour) private guided tour
- Transportation in our fully equipped touring vehicle (we drive, you enjoy the scenery)
- Plenty of space for gear and extra clothing
- Breakfast pastries and hot drinks (coffee, tea, hot cocoa)
- Healthy and hearty snacks and beverages
- Full picnic lunch spread
Gratuity is NOT included in the price of the tour. Tipping your guide is a common practice in North America, and tips are an important part of their income.
What to Bring
- Warm clothes for cooler early morning hours
- Dress warmly so that you can comfortably be out in the elements during the cold hours of the dawn. You will be at high elevations in the Rocky Mountains, and temperatures will be unseasonably cold. Be prepared!
- Close-toed shoes/hiking boots
- Long pants
- Sweater/sweatshirt
- Windbreaker/rain jacket
- Hat and gloves
- Duffle/backpack to store warm clothing as the day warms up
- Water bottle (reusable) *please remember to drink plenty of water at this high altitude
- Sun hat
- Sun glasses
- Sunscreen
- Lots of questions and curiosity!
-
BOOKING, DEPOSIT, & FINAL PAYMENT POLICIES:
In order to reserve your tour, a $200.00 deposit per tour day is due at the time of booking. Preferred payment method is via credit card through our secure booking system. The balance due will be charged to the card on file 30 days prior to your tour departure date.
CANCELLATION POLICY OPTIONS:
The Cancellation Policy that you select at the time of booking will apply to your reservation.
TRIP PROTECTED FLEXIBLE CANCELLATION POLICY +12% OF TOUR TOTAL COST
-
- If you cancel your tour 24 hours before your scheduled tour, your tour fee is fully refundable minus a $50.00 processing fee.
- If you cancel within 24 hours your tour fee is 65% refundable minus a $50.00 processing fee.
- We are unable to offer any refund for no-shows or tours canceled after the scheduled departure time
- The “Trip Protected Cancellation Policy” fee will be charged within 48 hours of booking and a receipt will be emailed to the email address on file
The 12% Trip Protected Fee is non-refundable. If you booked online, the “fees” charged by the third-party booking system are also non-refundable.
Rescheduling Your Tour with Us: We are happy to reschedule your tour for no additional charge up to 24 hours prior to your tour departure dependent upon availability.
STANDARD CANCELLATION POLICY
-
- If you cancel your tour more than 30 days in advance of your tour start date, you will receive a full refund minus a $50.00 processing fee.
- If you cancel your tour within 30 days of your tour start date, we are unable to offer a refund.
Under our Standard Cancellation Policy, if your trip needs to be canceled due to factors beyond our control, including (but not limited to) extreme weather conditions, wildfire, natural disaster, park closure, airline cancellations, or an “Act of God,” we will not be able to offer a cash refund.
As a small business, we regret that we are rarely able to make exceptions to our Standard Cancellation Policy. ***We strongly recommend that you select the “Trip Protected Cancellation Policy” or purchase third-party travel insurance in order to protect your investment in case of unforeseen events affecting your travel plans.***
Rescheduling Your Tour with Us: We are happy to reschedule your tour for no additional charge up to 48 hours prior to your tour departure dependent upon availability.
Updated 7/23/24
-
-
Park rules and Yellowstone code of ethics
As a licensed Commercial Use Permit holder with Yellowstone National Park, we must follow all park rules and regulations. Additionally, as life-long proponents of wildlife and wild places, we will also follow our own ethical practices. We will take this opportunity to teach you about how we can have the very best experience possible without having negative impacts on wildlife or on other visitors.
While on tour with Yellowstone Wild LLC, we will observe all park rules (subject to law enforcement):- Keep at least 25 yards from all wildlife, except:
- Keep at least 100 yards from wolves and bears
- Avoid remaining near or approaching wildlife, including birds, at any distance that disturbs or displaces the animal.
- Remain on board walks or established trails in hydrothermal areas.
- Observe but do not touch hydrothermal features.
-
Custom Portrait Adventure Photography Package
Yellowstone Wild is proud to partner with Jess at Chocolate Moose Images to offer a unique custom portrait photography package as a special add-on option for your tour. If you are visiting Yellowstone to celebrate an important milestone in your life (anniversary, birthday, honeymoon or graduation) or are simply on a much-needed family trip, our Portrait Adventure Photography Package is designed to capture your special moment. Jess specializes in classic portraits as well as highly candid photographs in and around Yellowstone National Park. She has a special gift for capturing genuine moments that vividly portray personality and emotion – and in a setting like Yellowstone, personality and emotion shine bright!
Jess will visit with you before your tour to develop a rapport, share ideas with one another and discuss how her photo shoot works. She will then join us on your tour out in the wilds of Yellowstone. She works discretely to capture meaningful moments of you exploring Yellowstone, while also keeping her trained eye open for the perfect Yellowstone-themed backdrop for your portraits. To see a sample of images from a winter tour, please visit the gallery here. If you have more specific questions about how to customize this for your adventure, please reach out to Jess.
Cost: $789 including a candid session on tour and a slightly more formal session (time to be arranged).
Final products: In total, she’ll spend between 3-5 hours with your family providing around 70 images in an online gallery. Printing services are available and highly encouraged.
Still have questions? Check out our FAQ’s page!